The WHO Passes A Symbolic Resolution Against Russia
Day 93 ~ Again, symbolic visits and resolutions don't help the soldiers on the ground defeat Russian troops
In the past 24 hours, there have been more visits from foreign representatives, the tally of war crimes being investigated only increases, the WHO has made a point that Russia has acted aggressively by attacking hospitals and failing to administer adequate humanitarian aid, the Donbas region is being destroyed, Russia is pushing the US ‘is at war with us’ angle by proxy as they are supplying weapons again, and the Russian have occupied Lyman in Donbas.
Ukraine is in a difficult position because they rely on the support from other countries, and they need it to defeat the Russians. This is made harder with some countries that favour appeasement—don’t they understand that this merely means that this will happen again in a few years time like Crimea?
The war has been slowly and unofficially escalating whether countries wish to acknowledge that or not. Mariupol is occupied by the Russians, as is Kherson, and now the Donbas region is on the verge of being fully occupied with the aid of pro-Russians in Ukraine. Russia is in a hurry to turn these occupied areas into ‘Russian holdings’ with the use of Russian passports for those in the area, moving in Russians into houses that have been abandoned, and by changing over the currency and infrastructure such as communication channels. That makes it harder for Ukraine to retake occupied towns and cities.
Does the world really think Putin will stop at Donbas and Mariupol? Macron and the appeasers think that Ukraine should officially handover Crimea, and Donbas and that will solve the problem. What kind of precedent will that set in the world? Will other authoritarian countries believe they can ‘take’ countries that were once under their rule without any punishments, for that is what Russia is doing?
Day 93 (27 May)
Two captured Russian soldiers have plead guilty in court in the second war crimes trial to be held in Ukraine. Alexander Bobikin and Alexander Ivanov, are accused of violating the laws of war by shelling a town that destroyed an educational establishment in Derhachi. A verdict will be delivered by 31 May, after the defence has stated they were following orders and have admitted to the crimes for leniency.
"I am completely guilty of the crimes of which I am accused," Bobikin told the court in Kotelva, Poltava region, according to Reuters news agency. "We fired at Ukraine from Russia."
Ivanov said: "I repent and ask for a reduction in the sentence."
Russia is attempting to quickly implement Russian citizenship for Ukrainians in the occupied areas of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia by issuing Russian passports. This is to try and force Ukrainians to change their citizenship, which would validate Russian claims that the territories are part of the Russian Federation. This opens the door to Crimea which is currently annexed. Russia has claimed it had issued passports to at least 860,000 people in separatist-controlled Donetsk and Luhansk.
Olaf Scholz at the World Economic Forum in Davos condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He chose not to highlight the fact that Germany had hesitated in assisting Ukraine, and had failed to respond to requests of weapons until 6-8 weeks after the invasion. Germany has been highly criticized for their lack of action, and it did not help when Scholz backed Macron’s appeasement comments. Macron has been unusually silent for the past week—perhaps his chats to Putin have not gone as planned, again?
"A major nuclear power is behaving as if it has the right to redraw borders,"
"Putin wants to return to a world order in which strength dictates what is right, in which freedom, determination and sovereignty are not for everyone.
"We cannot allow Putin to win this war… "there will be no dictated peace".
Sanna Marin, the Finnish Prime Minister made an unannounced visit to Ukraine and visited Irpin, Bucha, and Kyiv.
The country has pledged financial assistance to help rebuild Ukraine, and additional aid in terms of weapons to help them defend themselves against the Russians.
Another visit from a neighbouring state was made, this time from the Foreign Minister from North Macedonia. These visits are symbolic and show that these countries do support Ukraine and that they know that Russia must be defeated. France has not visited as yet, and people should ask why Macron has not made the journey to see Bucha and other areas for himself.
There is hope that not all Russians have been brainwashed, as Russia confirms that 115 servicemen have been dismissed after refusing to go to Ukraine.
More war crimes are being investigated by the Ukrainian prosecutors. While it is necessary, the aim is to prosecute those who give the orders rather than the minions. Until that happens or a regime change, then it looks like the war crimes will keep rising. 200 a day are being received, but what about the crimes that go unreported? The death toll can never be truly calculated while it continues to rise due to shelling, and bodies being discovered under the remains of buildings that have been destroyed.
As more companies decide how to exit Russia or whether they should, many are prepared to make a loss. It is not just a matter of losing the business from the Russians, but the worldwide reputation too of trading with Russia and enabling the war against Ukraine. Russia is keen to ‘punish’ companies by seizing their assets.
Russian propaganda continues, where there are claims that the US has crossed a red line if they supply Ukraine with heavy military weapons. They see it as the US escalating the war and being an enemy of Russia as they are fighting Russia by proxy.
The Russians see it as the West against Russia, and are of course blaming the US. Lavrov states that countries supplying weapons to Ukraine is unacceptable and it is they who are escalating the war.
This appears to be response to the news that the US may send long-rangerocket systems (MLRS and HIMARS) that Russia deems a threat.
The city of Lyman has been occupied by the Russians after a bitter battle. One by one, the Russians will continue to take Donbas. Ukraine doesn’t have the weapons to defend itself against the Russians. In short, Ukraine needs external assistance from their allies. Lyman is en route to Slovyansk, which is a key Russian target, where the Russians claim they have taken 220 settlements in the region.
It seems that there are Russians who are opposed to the war, as a group of deputies at a meeting in Vladivostok spoke out against the ‘special military operation’ and there were attempts to silence them.
The World Health Organisation passed a resolution condemning Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian healthcare facilities, namely the bombing of hospitals (256 hospitals have been attacked in Ukraine). 88 countries voted in favour, 12 against, and 53 abstained. Like the UN, this is symbolic and is not enforceable, but indicates that Russia is isolated in their attempts to justify the invasion. https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA75/A75_ACONF6-en.pdf
The only ‘punishment’ the WHO can offer is the suspension of voting rights at the UN health assembly, which I really don’t think the Russians care about. Russia and Syria, offered a counterproposal (which was rejected) which suggested that Kyiv was also to blame for some civilian deaths, 15-to-66 with 70 abstentions.
The Black Sea is riddled with mines placed there by the Russian. This prevents the Ukrainian freighters to safely pass through with essential exports of food. To date, the humanitarian corridor has not been confirmed as Russia will only agree if sanctions are lifted.
Putin has his eyes on taking Kharkiv, as he was unable to penetrate Kyiv. Denis Pushilin is the Russian puppet in the Donbas, and is poised to hold a referendum (sham one) int he region to proclaim that the people wish to be Russian in the region.
